Various gel materials have been used to protect substrates from corrosion and to provide electrical insulation on certain electrical terminals and connectors to prevent electrical malfunction upon exposure to moisture. These gel materials have particular properties which make them suitable for such uses, including a cone penetration value (ASTM D-937-77) of about 100 to about 350 (10.sup.-1 mm) and an ultimate elongation value (ASTM D-412) of at least about 100%. These gel materials have been used in various articles which provide means for placing the gel on the substrate and holding the gel in place on the substrate. For example, such gel materials have been used in terminal lug protection caps for the telecommunication industries as shown in U.S. Ser. No. 504,000 filed June 13, 1983, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,634,207; in crimp connectors as shown in U.S. Ser. No. 507,433 filed June 23, 1983, now abandoned; in covers for metal articles as shown in U.S. Ser. No. 715,789 filed Mar. 25, 1985, now abandoned; in thermoformed articles as shown in U.S. Ser. No. 730,699 filed May 2, 1985, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,643,924, in splice case end seals as shown in U.S. Ser. No. 698,643 filed Feb. 6, 1985, now abandoned, and U.S. Ser. No. 730,697 filed May 2, 1985, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,701,574, and in tape forms as shown in U.S. Ser. No. 507,435 filed June 26, 1983, abandoned, U.S. Ser. No. 711,119 filed Mar. 12, 1985, abandoned, U.S. Ser. No. 730,692 filed May 2, 1985, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,595,635, and U.S. Ser. No. 730,405 filed May 2, 1985, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,680,233. The disclosures of the above applications, which are all commonly assigned with this application, are incorporated herein by reference.
The gel materials having the above properties have been applied to substrates by having the gel contained in a preformed shape which is placed on the substrate or having the gel on or in a flexible backing or support which is applied to the substrate as a sheet or tape material. The former requires that the preformed shape have an appropriate shape which corresponds to the substrate on which the gel is to be placed. The sheet or tape articles are suitable for conforming to essentially any shape of substrate but do not provide the mechanical protection for the gel which is desired in some applications and in other applications the gel is not adequately held in place when it is subjected to certain mechanical forces and loads.
It is an objective of the present invention to provide articles and materials as well as methods which enable the utilization of gel materials having the above properties to be effectively applied to substrates having various shapes and provide mechanical and environmental protection for the gel material after it is in place on the substrate.